Antetokounmpo received an award sharperly designed with 33 points from a fan after winning Timberwolves with a 33-point contribution.
Also read Bucks top Timberwolves 112-107 with 33 points from Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes up for a shot against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center on February 23, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Bucks defeated the Timberwolves 112-
Minnesota dropped into a tie with Oklahoma City for the Western Conference lead at 39-17. The Thunder routed Washington 147-106 earlier Friday.
Anthony Edwards made three 3-pointers in the final 1:58 to give the Wolves a late chance after falling behind by 17 points late in the third quarter, but Damian Lillard iced it for the Bucks with a 21-foot pullup with 10.3 seconds left for the five-point lead.
Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes up for a shot against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center on February 23, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Bucks defeated the Timberwolves 112-107.
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“You can’t let yourself get too caught up in the misses. I knew eventually they would fall,” said Lillard, who had 21 points, 10 assists and a season-high nine rebounds to overshadow an 8-for-23 shooting night and help the Bucks (36-21) improve to just 4-7 under new coach Doc Rivers.
Malik Beasley scored all 14 of his points in the third, when the Bucks outscored the Wolves 36-13.
“We’ve got to be better,” coach Chris Finch said. “We were hustling, but we weren’t sharp.”
Karl-Anthony Towns (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (12 points, 19 rebounds) helped the Wolves build a 32-14 second-chance points advantage, but their sloppy third quarter was too much to overcome.
“We just had a great energy about us,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said.
